Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent the recent jobs initiative is expected to increase visitor numbers at our cultural institutions. [16492/11]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Whilst my Department provides funding to our National Cultural Institutions, the Board of each Institution is responsible for all operational matters relating to the institution, including visitor numbers, and I do not have a statutory function in respect of day-to-day operational matters.

I am advised that in excess of 3.5 million people visited cultural institutions funded by my Department in 2010, an increase of 7% on 2009 figures. The quality and diversity of the cultural exhibits and events on offer at our museums and galleries plays a key role in attracting such significant visitor numbers, as does the ongoing hard work and commitment of the institutions themselves and their staff. The Institutions form a key component of our cultural tourism product offering and, as such, they play an increasingly important role as we strive to continue our economic recovery.

Whilst it is not possible to accurately assess the full impact of the Government's Jobs Initiative at this early stage, it is anticipated that the tourism-related initiatives, such as the short term visa waiver programme, the reduction in air travel tax and the introduction of a new temporary second reduced rate of VAT for the tourism industry, will all have a positive effect in terms of attracting the cultural tourist from abroad to visit Ireland and view the many treasures on display at our various Institutions.

Visitor figures for the first quarter of 2011 are very positive overall and it is hoped that the record levels achieved in 2010 will be maintained if not surpassed during the current year.

Supplementary information

Visitor figures for 2009 and 2010

· Access to the collections held by the National Cultural Institutions is free of charge and the Institutions also provide free educational and family friendly events throughout the year.

Some Exhibition highlights for 2011

IMMA

Romuald Hazoumè9 February - 15 May 2011

One of Africa's leading visual artists. The 40 piece exhibition at IMMA focuses on his iconic sculptures made from discarded plastic canisters which resemble the primitive tribal masks that were so influential to the early Modernists, such as Picasso and Braque. Philip Taaffe – Anima Mundi23 March - 12 June 2011

This survey exhibition of the work of the American painter Philip Taaffe, features 34 mixed media, mostly abstract paintings from the last ten years Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Masterpieces of the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection6 April - 26 June 2011

Masterpieces of the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, presents the iconic paintings of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the two central figures of Mexican Modernism. The paintings exhibited include key images by Kahlo such as Self Portrait with Monkeys, and Self Portrait as a Tehuana or Diego in My Thoughts, and the major work by Rivera, Calla Lily Vendors (all 1943). Barrie Cooke15 June - 18 September 2011

Organised to mark Barrie Cooke's 80th birthday, this exhibition includes some 70 paintings and sculptural works from the early 1960s to the present. It draws from the Museum's own significant holding of his works, as well as loans from various private and institutional collections. Out of the Dark Room: The David Kronn Collection20 July - 9 October 2011 Gerard Byrne27 July - 31 October 2011 20th Anniversary – IMMA celebrated its 20th anniversary in May 2011 and hosted a series of special events to mark the occasion, attracting significant numbers of visitors.

National Gallery of Ireland Masterpieces from the Collection is a special presentation of some of the finest works in the Gallery's collection. It includes a stunning selection of paintings from the European collection, from the early Renaissance through to the mid-twentieth century. Highlights of the Irish collection map the development of Irish art from the eighteenth century onwards and include key works by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, James Barry, William Orpen and John Lavery. These displays also feature a selection of works from the extensive Prints & Drawings collection, among them Jean-Antoine Watteau, Woman Seen from the Back; Daniel Maclise, The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife, and Edgar Degas, Two Ballet Dancers in a Dressing Room . Given the nature of the collection of works on paper, this display will be changed every few months to allow regular visitors to enjoy more of this collection. Paintings by Jack B. Yeats are on view in The Yeats Room.

National Museum of Ireland

Collins Barracks: The Asgard

The restoration of this 51 foot (16m) sailing is now complete and it is hoped that it will form part of the Museum's keynote exhibitions for 2011 when it goes on public display in the autumn of 2011. (Work is currently ongoing on making the gym in which it is currently housed suitable for public access and display).

Kildare Street: The Treasury/The Fadden More Psalter The Fadden More Psalter is an 8th Century illustrated vellum manuscript that was found in a bog in 2006. Conservation work on the Psalter has been completed and is now on display in the refurbished Treasury exhibition. The refurbishment works also included the restoration of the mosaic floor at the Treasury.

The Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park,

The NMI plans to move the Roscommon Gold Hoard for display in Turlough Park where it is anticipated that it will attract significant visitors. The Hoard consists of a gold lunala and two small gold discs which date to the Early Bronze age c 2300- 1800 BC and is the most significant discovery of Early Bronze Age gold work from Ireland for many years. The Hoard was found following a robbery on a chemist in Strokestown, Co Roscommon in 2009.

Natural History Museum The National History Museum was re-opened on 28th April 2010. The refurbishment has been a great success. Visitor numbers to the Museum have been very positive and the general reaction has been excellent. The OPW have been asked to examine the whether or not access can be gained to any part of to the two upper balconies.

Culture-Related Tourism

· Cultural tourism is a key element of Ireland's tourism industry. The list of top visitor attractions is dominated by natural and built heritage, and in addition, festivals, musical and other events attract major numbers of attendees.

· Some 3.53 million overseas visitors engaged in cultural/historical visits while in Ireland in 2008, 43% of total visitors, spending €2.3 billion, 56% of total overseas visitor spend in Ireland.

· Tourists who engage in cultural pursuits while in Ireland are higher than average spenders.

· A total of €3.03 billion, or 2% of GNP is at least partly dependent on overseas cultural tourism. Domestic cultural tourism would add significantly to this.

· A total of 73,000 jobs are dependent on cultural tourism, 3.4% of the total workforce. There is a very significant showcase impact from Irish culture, which raises the profile of the country and has a substantial economic benefit, most directly on tourism

Economic Contribution

Cultural Tourism is a key element of the Irish Tourism product. Culture is cited by the majority of visitors to Ireland as a key motivator in choosing Ireland as a destination. The World Tourist Organization claims that Cultural Tourism represents between 35-40% of all tourism world-wide, and that it is growing at 15% per annum – three times the rate of growth of general tourism. The 2006 EU study on The Economy of Culture in Europe showed that in 2003 the contribution of the cultural and creative sectors represented 2.6% of Europe GDP and that the growth of the sector was 12.3% higher than the growth of the overall economy in the period 1999 to 2003. In Ireland the contribution was put at 1.7% of GDP in 2003.

A report on cultural tourism by Fáilte Ireland that cultural tourists to Ireland are economically attractive, with income levels in advance of the average for the broader population. Cultural tourists demonstrate higher than average spending while on holiday. Fáilte Ireland has estimated that in 2009, 3.3 million visitors to Ireland engaged in what can be described as heritage/culture tourism and spent an estimated €1.9 billion while in Ireland. Within that total just over 1 million visited places of historical/cultural interest and spent an estimated €1.8 billion, representing the largest sector amongst those identified.

Extract from Jobs Initiative

· The Air Travel Tax rate will be reduced to zero on or after such a day as the Minister for Finance may appoint by Commencement Order. This measure is subject to an agreement being reached with the airlines to bring in additional passenger numbers.

· To support the tourism industry, a new temporary second reduced rate of VAT of 9% will be introduced with effect from 1 July 2011 until end-December 2013. The new 9% rate will mainly apply to restaurant and catering services, hotel and holiday accommodation and various entertainment services such as admissions to cinemas, theatres, museums, fairgrounds, amusement parks and the use of sporting facilities. In addition, the new rate will also apply to hairdressing and printed matter such as brochures, maps, programmes and newspapers.

·Short-term Visa Waiver Programme - this measure will apply to short stay visitors of 14 nationalities who ordinarily require a Visa to enter the State and will apply over a period from July 2011 to October 2012. Under the proposal, potential visitors who are in possession of a valid visa to enter the UK will have that Visa recognised by Ireland as sufficient to allow lawful entry to the State for short stay tourism and business purposes.

Supplementary information

Visitor figures for 2009 and 2010